


home

by A_Shark_Named_Max



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Gen, I realized that this comes off as less shippy but my intentions are still clear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 02:20:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20184637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Shark_Named_Max/pseuds/A_Shark_Named_Max
Summary: Byleth had their own reasons for turning against the church.





	home

**Author's Note:**

> I took a big break from writing so this is me coming back and being rusty over it.

_ 'She did something to me.' _

Since reading her father's journal, Byleth was filled with so many conflicting emotions. It was so frustrating, even with the time they had been given to grieve it still felt like so much was happening that they haven't been able to rest at all, she spent seldom time in her room and only choosing to sleep in the Captain's Quarters.

Nothing would fill the void her father left, but being here helped a little as painful as it was.

Byleth walked towards the window, from here she could see the cemetery framed by the mountains and the dying light of the day. She thinks about what Edelgard had said to her earlier in the day when she visited, while everyone tried their best to be consoling and sympathetic to her loss, the future Empress was blunt with her words, not wasting time getting her point across.

A part of Byleth wanted so badly to be angry at her, to yell and scream for assuming what she thought what was good for her, but she knew that she was right deep down.

If Byleth let herself wallow in her grief, she would surely waste away in this room and she knew better than anyone that would be something her father would never had wanted. He would rap his knuckles against her head like how whenever she would make a mistake or was zoning out when she should be paying attention and tell Byleth that there was work to be done.

_ “Letting your mind wander is a sure way to get yourself killed.” _

Her eyes stung with tears again, she missed him so much.

She tucked her father’s journal back into it’s hiding space, closed the door and walked back to her room. It was much later in the day, so there were fewer students and faculty out and about, most of them would be in the dining hall or in their rooms already, she mostly came across Church soldiers who just nodded at her when she passed by.

Once she made it back to her room, Byleth started gathering what she would need for class on Sunday, tomorrow was a free day and she would need to inform Seteth she would be back to work, she just hoped he didn’t ask too many questions. For now Byleth just needed to hold it together because the ones responsible for her father’s death, Remire Village and whoever the Death Knight was were still out there and she needed to keep a clear mind less she make a mistake.

Her father, against his better judgement and original misgivings against Rhea and the Church, was ready to put aside them once he saw his child who was no closer to being a walking and talking corpse, flourish in this new environment. Byleth wonders if he would still be alive if she had been more vocal about her suspicions instead of just confiding with the girl who lived in her head.

There was also the issue of Rhea, she definitely did something to her when she was born and whatever it was maybe that was the reason for having Sothis in her head? Or why she didn’t have a heartbeat, was she even human? 

There were far too many questions that needed answers, for now sleep.  


* * *

Byleth didn’t regret her decision when she refused to kill Edelgard.

How could she?

While the shock of the reveal of her student being the Flame Emperor and the entire raid on the Holy Tomb threw her off and was quite distressing, that didn’t mean Byleth would suddenly turn towards Rhea and the Church for any sort of help. Maybe she was putting too much faith into Edelgard but Byleth was sure that if she asked now that everything was out in the open that she would get answers compared to Rhea who seemed more inclined to wait for Byleth to figure something out.

She was tired of waiting.

Byleth had expected Rhea’s rage when she refused to kill Edelgard, she wasn’t expecting her to transform into a dragon, she really was hiding more than she let on. 

After escaping the Holy Tomb, gathering up her other students and being told about Edelgard’s plan and about the truth of the Church, Byleth was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. She wishes she had more time to digest everything, but there was no time to waste, the Imperial army was marching towards the monastery at this moment and more time waiting gave the Church time to add more to it’s defenses or seeking them out; they needed to take advantage of the chance they had.

While the place there were at didn’t have much of anything, it at least had some sense of privacy with make-shift tents that were mostly for the Black Eagles to strategize and plan. This was where Byleth found herself when she was done checking up on her students, she gazed at the outline of the monastery she had drawn out from memory and trying to see where she would need to place everyone once they moved out. 

Byleth was so preoccupied with her thoughts she didn’t hear footsteps coming up behind her. “So this is where you are?” Looking behind her she could see Edelgard standing in the tent opening before walking up to stand next to her. “I should have known you were busy planning for us.”

Byleth smiled. “You should know by now I’m always prepared.”

“Did you draw this map up by memory?”

“Yes, Seteth gave me an outline of the monastery when I first started teaching and I made sure to memorize it. Even if I’m wrong on some parts, I can make changes on the spot.”

A comfortable silence covered them as Byleth looked over her units, Caspar and Petra were her pokers so maybe sending them off to lure enemies out of hiding would be a good idea. She would just need to make sure to have Bernadetta go with one of them since there will surely be Pegasus Knights, it would just be a matter of who would attract their attention first.

“You really are amazing, you know that, right?”

It was said so softly that Byleth wasn't sure if they were actually words spoken to her or not, she turned her head to see Edelgard looking down at her makeshift map, her hand hovering over mouth, she noted this was something she usually did whenever she was being particularly honest about something. In the dim lightening, Edelgard’s eyes almost seem to glisten and her hair shined, an odd thought crossed Byleth’s mind that in this moment that she was very beautiful. When she realized this, she could feel an odd pressure in her chest, it wasn’t unpleasant so maybe it wasn’t a bad thing?

Before she could put more thought on this, Edelgard began to speak. “Professor, I know I already had asked this of you, but I… I’m still trying to understand." She gazed up at her, confusion painted clearly across her face, it was rare for Edelgard to be so open when the others could easily walk in on them like this, so this must really be bothering her. 

Did this girl really believe she would strike her down? As good as Edelgard had gotten at reading her emotions since they've met, Byleth wondered if she still struggled a bit or maybe she wanted to hear a clear confirmation from her instead. She gently laid her hand on top of where Edelgard had placed hers on the table,“I don’t know if this will surprise you, but I also had my reasons to turn against the church?”

“You did?”

Byleth nodded.

“Before my father was killed, he told me that if anything were to happen to him that I was to search the captain’s quarters for something he left behind for me, it turned out to be a journal he had kept even before I was born. When my mother died from giving birth to me, Rhea had been with her and informed him of what had happened afterwards.” Byleth stared blankly ahead, she must have paused far longer than she meant to when she felt Edelgard tentatively touch her arm to get her to continue. “When I talked to Rhea, she mentioned how my mother asked her to save me, from what I don’t know. Maybe I was a stillborn and she did something to keep me alive, whatever it was, for some reason since I was young, I've been like this.”

Byleth didn’t feel like she has to explain what “this” was, she figured Edelgard knew what she meant. Since she was a child, Byleth knew she was strange, that her lack of expressions or reaction frightened others to the point that children would run from her. It was lucky she was part of a mercenary group, so the sting of it wouldn’t last long enough at least until the next village when it would repeat.

“I don’t know what happened, but I do know she did something to me and it has to do with the Goddess. She always seemed to expect something of me, like she was waiting for me to figure something out, the more I was around her the more she frightened me.”

“Professor,” Edelgard’s hands were so warm as she grasped hers in between her own. “I just want you to know, we’ll help you get closure for you. If the Church and Rhea hurt you, then this revolution is just for you as much as everyone else hurt by them.”

Byleth let herself look over Edelgard's face, she could see her usual determined expression she used to fire up the other Black Eagles but she could also seem something else, something deeper. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it enough to convince Byleth of her words.

She turned to face Edelgard, stepping a bit closer and sliding her other hand against Edelgard’s cheek, Byleth must of her surprised her by how bold she was being since she could feel her hold on her hand tighten and the skin against Byleth's hand grow warmer. If there was more light, she was certain Edelgard's face would be flushed.

Byleth smiled, “Thank you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Ever think about how when Solon killed Kronya, what he pulled out of her chest was a creststone? Almost in similar fashion to how Byleth's creststone was huh?
> 
> Hey Rhea, what the fuck?


End file.
